Analyst Reveals Surprising Free Agent Browns Must Re-Sign

An NFL analyst has revealed a surprising free agent the Cleveland Browns must bring back this offseason.
Dec 8, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) and linebacker Devin Bush (30) warm up for a game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium.
Dec 8, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) and linebacker Devin Bush (30) warm up for a game against the Cleveland Browns at Acrisure Stadium. / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
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The NFL offseason is right around the corner and the Cleveland Browns have a tall task ahead of them. After suffering through a brutal 2024 season, the front office will have to figure out a way to get them back into playoff contention quickly.

Myles Garrett has been very open that he has no interest in going through a rebuild. If the Browns want to keep him as the face of the franchise, they will need to start winning again in 2025.

Unfortunately, the team is not in a great position.

They don't have a lot of financial flexibility. Cleveland also has quite a few holes throughout the roster that need to be filled. One of those holes is at the quarterback position.

There is a chance that the Browns can get those issues fixed, but it will require a lot of work.

That being said, there is one free agent that an NFL analyst thinks Cleveland has to re-sign.

Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus believes that the Browns must find a way to re-sign linebacker Devin Bush this offseason. After Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah went down with an injury, Bush played at a high level to help fill the void.

“In the absence of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Devin Bush quietly put together the best season of his career. The ex-Steeler, who will be just 27 in July, earned an 86.4 PFF run-defense grade that ranked in the top 10 among qualified linebackers this season. He could replace Jordan Hicks in the Browns’ starting lineup next season,” Wasserman said.

Throughout the course of the 2024 season, Bush ended up recording 76 total tackles to go along with a sack and three defended passes. He produced those numbers in 16 games.

At just 26 years old, there is still a lot of room for Bush to continue improving. Cleveland needed some help at linebacker heading into the 2024 season and Bush seems like he could be a relatively inexpensive option who could continue playing at a high level within the Browns' defense.

Obviously, the hope is that Owusu-Koramoah will be able to make a return to the field at full health in the future as well.

At this point in time, there are real questions about Owusu-Koramoah's future. There has been some question as to whether or not he will play again. If he doesn't, Bush would be a big help, but Cleveland would need to add another linebacker alongside him.

Only time will tell, but keeping Bush definitely seems like the best option for the Browns.


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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.